When I came to Chile, I realized how important the bus system was to the citizens of Santiago. I was nervous to try out public transportation, but I found that it was a fascinating experience to observe so many people, and how different things were than in the United States.
It has overtaken the rail system “Empresa de los Ferrocarriles” aka EFE, the state agency, as the most reliable and most used form of public transportation. Pullman and Turbus are the two main companies.
When I got on the bus, there weren’t many on board. I sat down in the back of the bus, trying not to gather too much attention as a tourist, and then I observed many people getting on after me. I saw a woman with a small child, an elderly man with a cane, and many others get on board. I saw as they sat down and struck up a conversation between themselves. It was very refreshing to see the friendliness of strangers who didn’t know each other, and were so easy to converse with. In no time, I arrived at my stop, and got off the bus to go to the hotel.